I write this letter not as a board member of the Downtown Waltham Partnership (DWP) but rather, as a downtown small business owner who also resides in the downtown area.The planned improvements to our downtown are much needed for both public safety and economic development, in an area that will experience competition with other business and retail developments in other parts of our community.I urge both the mayor and the City Council to ensure that whether the sidewalks are brick, as I understand it, or concrete, whether there are trees and plantings or some other plan, that we create a "Care and Maintenance Plan" for the sidewalks, trees, lighting, etc.At present, if one takes a ride down Moody Street, they will see six different styles of street lights from Main Street to the Newton line, trees that are dead or dying, and concrete as well as various shades of brick sidewalks that come to an end at Moody and High streets.If we are to make the investment of millions of dollars in improvements to the downtown, I strongly urge that there be a plan set in place of exactly what the improvements will be and a plan to execute those improvements as well as a plan for the care and maintenance of the lighting, streets, sidewalks, trees, plantings, etc. And another important part of the plan is to ensure that all of Moody Street will be included in these plans. From Main Street to the Newton line should have the same style lighting, the same trees and/or plantings, the same sidewalks, etc.We need to consider LED lights in street lamps that are easy to change and have brackets for banners and plantings. We also need to consider the benefits of planting the right types of trees and plantings and someone who is qualified to prune trees and care for them in the manner that is needed for a long, healthy lifespan.We need to consider the pros and cons of brick versus concrete sidewalks and also consider the benefits of incorporating both.The Boston Globe recently featured an article on the benefits of parklets, which I saw in Lexington last year and strongly suggest that this be considered for the downtown since the parklets can be put out during the summer months and hauled away to store for the winter and attract hundreds more people to the area.–Sally Collura, former Waltham councilor-at-large